Whether it is days of cold-emailing in hopes of landing an internship, evenings spent trying to memorize yet another SAT vocabulary list, or nights dreading the words “thank you” at the top of a decision letter, the college application process is one of the most significant sources of stress for many high school students. 

For some underclassmen, however, the pressure begins even earlier, long before they even begin their application.  

“I feel like the biggest problem most of the underclassmen around me have right now is choosing their major,” Daniel Cheung (‘28) said. “Some people want to do one thing but also want to do something else, and they worry that if they pick one major, they might be stuck with it for the rest of their lives.” 

Beyond the uncertainty of choosing a future path, getting a perfect score on their standardized tests has also become a growing source of anxiety for younger students, especially as expectations from parents continue to rise.  

“Kids stress out way too much about standardized testing,” said Hector Martinez, Director of College Guidance. “One student told me they couldn’t remember a single weekend without SAT prep. That was one of the saddest things I’ve heard.” 

But parents are not the only source of students’ stress. Seeing what other students around them are doing can also create peer pressure.  

“Sophomore year is about to end,” Daniel said. “And there are sophomores that are already starting to take the SAT. I feel like it creates that stress to take it, so I don’t feel left behind.” 

But fundamentally, students’ intense focus on achieving a perfect 1600 on the SAT often stems from a common misconception about a “good” college.  

“Kids think there’s only 10 or 20 colleges worthwhile in the United States,” Mr. Martinez said. “There are hundreds of colleges worthwhile attending in the States. People think the higher its rank, the better the college. Big misconception.” 

In other words, much of the stress surrounding college applications may come less from the process itself and more from the way students think about it. 

While underclassmen look forward with uncertainty, seniors like Anna Park ’26—who will attend Northwestern University next fall—can look back on the process with a clearer perspective.  

“College does not define who you are,” Anna said. “It’s just a step toward the path you want to take.”  

Like many underclassmen right now, the college application process felt overwhelming for Anna, but in hindsight, many of the worries she carried did not matter as much as she once thought. 

“I think the moment where college apps felt overwhelming was August and September,” Anna said. “We had just come back to school, I was taking all advanced classes, and on top of homework I still had to work on college apps, play tennis, study SAT, and manage everything else.” 

Like many students, Anna said standardized testing added significant pressure during the process. 

“I worried a lot about the SAT because I felt like I was falling behind,” she said. “But looking back, it didn’t really matter as much as I thought. The essays let you show yourself better, and colleges care about a more holistic view of you rather than just a single score.” 

Now, having gone through the process herself, Anna has some advice for underclassmen who are just beginning to think about college. 

“Start your essays early,” Anna said. “Whenever a good idea comes to you, write it down. I’d also suggest starting with the UC questions because they’re more creative and holistic.” 

For Mr. Martinez, the most important advice is even simpler: don’t let college admissions consume your entire high school experience. 

“For freshmen and sophomores, just have a fantastic time being a freshman and a sophomore,” Mr. Martinez said. “Get good grades, try new things, and get involved. Focus on being a student first. College will come later.”  

In the end, the college process may feel overwhelming while it’s happening, but many students discover afterward that the things they worried about the most mattered far less than they thought.